1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for managing chat histories.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instant messaging is an online chat medium, allowing users to communicate with each other and collaborate in real-time over a network of data processing systems. Instant messaging is commonly used over the Internet. Instant messaging applications monitor and report the status of users that have established each other as online contacts. This information is typically presented to a user in a window. Instant messaging applications also are often used by users conducting business. By utilizing instant messaging, business users can view each other's availability and initiate conversations with colleagues or customers when a desired contact becomes available. A conversation is an exchange of text messages between two or more parties.
Typically, with instant messaging applications, communications between users are initiated by users selecting the name of the person with whom they desire to communicate. Then, the users type messages in a dialog box in the window and press “send”. These messages appear instantly on the other selected recipient's computer.
Until now, instant messaging has been developed largely for home users, but used by home and business users alike. Instant messaging allows an organization to deploy and utilize this “need-to-have” technology in a business setting.
During an ongoing conversation between two or more parties using an instant messaging application, the parties sometimes find it desirable to add another party or participant during the conversation. For example, if two parties are discussing a product and questions regarding technical aspects of the product are encountered, a third party, such as a technical expert, may be desired. In such a case, the third party is invited to join the conversation. When such a third party is invited during a conversation using an instant messaging application, sometimes it is desirable to make the chat history available to that party. In the case of the technical questions, it may be desirable to make the history available to that third party to allow that party to understand the context of the questions.
Currently, the solution is to copy the prior messages sent between the parties and paste that chat history back into the current conversation. Such a feature is often cumbersome depending on the amount of prior messages present in the conversation. Further, pasting the history into the current conversation repeats the messages for all of the participants who have been present prior to the third person joining the conversation. Thus, this type of procedure for providing a history to a third party invitee that joins the conversation while it is occurring is undesirable.